Button.



W. BOURKE.

BUTTON.

0 APPLICATION FILED JULYZ'I, 1910.

1,086,017, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

W ICWKMW% SAT FATNT OFTCE.

WILLIAM BOURKE, or NEW YoRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 FRANCES BOURKE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUTTON.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM BOURKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in buttons and particularly buttons such as collar buttons, cuff buttons, etc., comprising a head and a base connected by a shank or 30st. 1 The improved button herein described comprises awire post of novel form and construction, united in an improved manner to the head and to the base.

My invention consists in the novel con struction of such post and the novel connection thereof to the base, and to the head, of

the button.

The objects of my invention are to improve the construction of buttons comprising a head and base connected by a post; to provide a stronger connection of the posts of such buttons to the bases thereof; to facilitate the attachment of such posts to the heads of such buttons; to permit the construction of the post of the button of drawn wire while at the same time providing a breadth of base many times the diameter of the wire; to reduce liability to breakage of bases formed of pearl, bone, or the like, or disconnection of the posts from such bases; to avoid undue distention of the buttonhole; to so construct the button that, with a relatively small head, it shall overlap the edges of the buttonhole as much as do the much larger heads of buttons constructed in the ordinary manner; and generally to-make the button strong, durable, easy. and cheap to manufacture and attractive in appearance.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In said drawings: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of one form of button embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 shows an end elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 a face view of the underside of the base of the button shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 shows a central vertical section of the button shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; and Fig. 5 is a similar sectional elevation of an alternative form of button similarly.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1910.

v Patented Feb. 3,1914. Serial No. 574,203.

constructed, except that it has a flattened head formed of two pieces of metal and except that the base of the button is here indicated as composed of non-metallic material, such as pearl or bone; Fig. 6 shows a detail elevation of the post of the button; and Fig. 7 shows a bottom view of the button shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the post loop before application to the base of the button.

Referring to the said drawings, and at first to Figs. 1-4 inclusive, 1 designates the head of the button, 2 the base thereof, and 8 the neck or post. As clearly appears from a comparison of Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6, the said post 3 consists of a loo-p of wire, said loop being roughly of triangular form, and being connected to the base 2 by passing through holes formed in said base; the ends of the wire being included within the hollow head 1, said ends being turned outwardly as indicated particularly in Figs. 4 and 6, so as to be held securely within said head. The method of turning in the lower sides of hollow button heads, such as the head shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, to embrace ahead formed on the post of the button, is too well known to require specific description here. As will be seen from the drawings, the outturned ends of the wire loop forming the post of the button form a broadened head for said post well adapted to be included in the hollow head of the button. Therebyone difiiculty which has been experienced in the securing of solid wire posts to the heads of buttons is obviated, it being unnecessary to form a head on the wire by upsetting the wire or by soldering a head piece thereon.

Heretofore much diiiiculty' has been experienced in strongly securing posts of buttons to their bases; particularly when the post is formed of Wire. Wire cannot bev soldered satisfactorily to a metallic button base even when the end of the wire is upset to increase the area of contact between the end of the post and the button base. Solder is an unsatisfactory connection between metallic parts which are exposed to stress, as sooner or later the solder usually yields under stress, permitting the parts to separate. The improved construction herein described obviates this difliculty, for, the wire post of the button being in the form of a loop, can be passed through holes formed in the base, and these holes can be relatively far apart,

so that the loop-post has, with respect to the button base, a very broad base for contact with such button base. The base 4 of the post being beneath the button base 2, effectually prevents such button base from dropping away from the post, while the taper of the post, beginning immediately above the button base, prevents said base from rising on the post.

To increase to the maximum the effective area of contact between the base 4 of the post and the button-base 2, and to facilitate the recessing of the post base 4 into the bottom surface of the button base 2, this post base 4 is commonly flattened and broadened as indicated particularly in Fig. 3, fitting within a recess 5 formed in the base of the button and only very slightly larger than this post base 4.

The described connection. of the post base to the button base, while advantageous in the case of buttons having metallic bases, is especially advantageous in the case of buttons having bases of pearl, bone, and other non-metallic brittle materials. Bases formed of such materials cannot be soldered or brazed to a metallic button base, and heretofore much difiiculty has been experienced in properly connecting such parts. Such difficulties are entirely obviated, by the construction shown, for it is relatively easy to bore in a pearl or bone button base, the holes required for the passage of the wire post-loop, and also to turn in such bases recesses such as 6 (Fig. 7 for the reception of the post base 4. The extensive area of contact between the post and base of such a button, due to the spreading apart or the sides of the post-loop, at the base of the button, and due to the flattening of the post-base 4, distributes pressure between the post and the button base over a large area. Furthermore, the material of the button base 2\is not weakened, and initial fractures started, in so connecting the post and base, as is frequently the case when a pearl or bone base and a metallic post are pressed together, according to one familiar method of connecting such parts.

It will be understood that the form of post, as shownin Fig. 6, is not the form of such post at the time when it is passed through the holes in the button base, but is the form finally given to said post.

Fig. 8 represents approximately the form of the post before it is passed through the holes in the button base. After passing it through the said holes in the base, the sides of the post-loop are drawn together and the ends of the wire turned over, so producing the form shown in Fig. 6.

The head of the button shown in Fig. 5 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 4, except in that it is a flattened head, whereas the head shown in Fig. 4 is nearly spherical, and except that it is formed of two pieces of metal, 7 and 8, connected in the familiar manner illustrated, t. 6., by turning the edges of the disk 8 over so as to embrace the edges of the disk 7.

The improved button, in the various forms shown in the drawings, has numerous advantages other than those due to its greater strength. The post of the button being much narrower in one direction than in the other, distends the buttonhole very little, and because of such slight distention a relatively small button head, such as the head 1 of the button shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, has as great overlap wit-h respect to a buttonhole, as has a much larger head of an ordinary button with around post of diameter equivalent to a double thickness of the wire forming the post of my improved button, and because of this fact, it is permissible in my button, to use a much smaller head than is ordinarily used in metallic post buttons, and such smaller head, when passed through the buttonhole, distends the buttonhole less than do the larger heads of ordinary buttons, so that the head of my improved button is more readily passed through the buttonhole of a collar or cuff for example, than is the head of an ordinary button having equivalent overlap with respect to the buttonhole. Furthermore it will be noted that both surfaces of the button base are slightly convex; for which reason the button base will lie closer to a curved surface, such as that of a collar, neck band, wrist band, or cufi', than will an ordinary flat or concave buttonbase. Drawn wire such as is used preferably in forming the post of my button, is exceptionally stiff and rigid as compared with the soft material ordinarily required to be used in forming button posts by former methods. In soldering a post to its base, the heat of soldering anneals the post, making it soft. The constructions herein described have furthermore the advantage that elaborate and expensive machinery is not required in the forming of the button, as is the case, for example, in one piece buttons, spun or otherwise formed to shape from a single tube or disk of metal, nor is great skill required in assembling the parts of the button, such as is required when parts are soldered together. The improved button herein described therefore possesses the advantages of great strength, durability, cheapness and ease of manufacture, and avoidance of undue distention of the buttonhole, in use, together with ample overlap of the head and base, while in use.

What I claim is 1. A button of the class described comprising in combination a head, base and post, the base provided with holes for the passage of the post, the post consisting of a wire loop passing through said holes and fitting closely therein, the sides of said loop being bent out of line with said holes, just above said base, whereby said loop post is secured rigidly to said base, the head being secured to the upper portion of said post, and being rigid with respect to said post in the plane of the post.

2. A button of the class described comprising in combination a head, base and post, the base having holes for the passage of the post and having on its underside between said holes a fiat space against which the base of the post may bear, the post consisting of a wire loop, the sides of which pass through said holes and fit closely therein, the base of said loop being substantially straight and fitting closely against the said flat space of the button base, whereby a large surface for engagement of the button base with the base of the loop is provided, said butt-on base having in its under side a recess receiving said base portion of said loop, the sides of said loop being bent out of line with said holes, just above said button base and toward each other forming an approximately triangular figure, whereby said loop post is secured rigidly to said base, the'head of the button being secured to the end of said loop.

3. A button of the class described comprising in combination ahead, base and post, the base being formed of non-metallic brittle material and provided with holes for the passage of the post, the post consisting of a wire loop passing through said holes and fitting closely therein, the sides of said loop being bent out of line with said holes, just above said base and toward each other forming an approximately triangular figure, whereby said loop post is secured rigidly to said base, the base of the loop being broadened for engagement with the base of the button, whereby a large surface for engagement of the base of said loop with the button base is provided the head being secured to the upper portion of said post.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BOURKE. Witnesses:

H. M. MARBLE, D. A. DAVIES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

